Kellie Maloney, pictured at Ukip's spring conference in February, now says that a vote for the party is 'wasted'

Kellie Maloney has said that a vote for Ukip is a wasted vote.

The celebrity former boxing promoter, formerly known as Frank, is one of the party's most famous former candidates.

But she warned Ukip supporters should vote Tory to keep Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon out of power.

She told Sky News: 'If we want to stop Labour and the SNP I think you’ve got to vote Tory. A vote for Ukip would be quite wasted I believe.

'I know Ukip are not going to like hearing that, but if they’re honest they would say the same things as well because they’re not going to get enough seats to wield any power.

'I think they’ll get four or five seats, maybe.'

She praised Ukip leader Nigel Farage, adding: 'You can’t knock him.'

But she warned how other candidates have given the party a bad image. She said: 'There is free speech (in the party) but some of the stuff that comes out from some of the Ukip people.

'I mean no normal person in the street could accept that and I think that is their downfall.

'They could offer some great things to the British public had they sat down and done it right and they weeded out the bad and brought in more people through the ranks.'

The former boxing promoter, who stood as the party's candidate for London Mayor in 2004, has just undergone a full gender re-assignment.

Speaking about transgender people, she said: 'We are probably where the gay community was 25 years ago and we can learn a lot from them.

'But it would be nice to hear political parties speak up on civil rights and gender issues.'

Mr Farage last night dismissed the criticism. He told Sky News: 'There is a fear about Labour and the SNP and that’s why I’m talking to you from Hartlepool because whats happened over the last couple of weeks is there is a strengthening in the Ukip polls and its all coming from Labour.

'So the way to stop Labour/SNP coalition is for Labour voters to switch and vote for Ukip.'

When Miss Maloney was standing to London Mayor, she caused controversy by claiming there were 'too many gays' in Camden.

She apologised for the homophobic remarks when she addressed Ukip's spring conference in February this year.

Kellie Maloney says a vote for UKIP would be 'quite wasted'

The criticism is a blow for Ukip leader Nigel Farage who had hoped that Miss Maloney's backing would help to change the image of the party

Kellie Maloney cries as she recites poem at UKIP conference

Mr Farage will today campaign in Hartlepool, where he thinks the party has its best chance of winning in the North East at the election.

The seat has been put on Ukip’s list of top ten targets. Other seats outside of the south of England on the list are Great Grimsby, Boston & Skegness, Dudley North and Heywood & Middleton.

Mr Farage last night said he believed Ukip could 'smash up' Labour's 'one-party state' in the North.

In an article for MailOnline he said Mr Miliband's party 'simply do not understand' the impact mass immigration has had on people's lives.

If we want to stop Labour and the SNP I think you’ve got to vote Tory. A vote for Ukip would be quite wasted I believe

Kellie Maloney

He accused shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna of calling Ukip racist because Labour is 'running scared' of Ukip.

Ukip’s strategists believe the party could come second in at least 100 seats in the North.

In 2010 the party failed to achieve even a single second place.

The Hartlepool constituency has been held by Labour since it was formed in 1974.

In 2010, Ukip took just seven per cent of the vote and Labour’s Iain Wright retained the seat with a 5,509 majority.

He replaced Peter Mandelson as the MP in a by-election in 2004 after the Labour grandee stood down to become a European Commissioner.

Mr Farage’s hopes for electoral victory in Hartlepool come after the town elected a man dressed as a monkey as its mayor in 2002.

Stuart Drummond stood as ‘H'Angus the Monkey’, Hartlepool United FC’s mascot, as a publicity stunt with the slogan, ‘free bananas for schoolchildren’.

He was re-elected in 2005 and 2009 before voters in the town backed a referendum to scrap the paid post in 2012.

Hartlepool's residents are famously said to have hanged a monkey during the Napoleonic wars because they thought it was a French spy.